Track aligning apparatus



Nov. 14, 1967 F. PLASSER ETAL 3,352,249

TRACK ALIGNING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1965 United States Patent ()fi 3,352,249 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 ice 3,352,249 TRACK ALIGNING APPARATUS Franz Plasser and Josef Theurer, both of Johannesgasse 3, Vienna, Austria Filed Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 422,912 2 Claims. (Cl. 104-7) The present invention relates to improvements in track alignment, and more particularly to track grading apparatus.

It has been proposed to correct a track grade with respect to two reference lines extending in a vertical plane above the respective track rails. In conventional apparatus used for this purpose, the respective ends of the reference lines are anchored in a previously graded track section and in a track section to be graded, and a track lifting means is positioned between the ends of the reference lines to lift the rails in respect of the reference lines until they are substantially parallel thereto.

It has been suggested to use tensioned wires or like elongated elements as reference lines and to anchor the ends of the reference wires to mobile supports, or to anchor the ends of the reference wires in the track section to be graded to a stationary support towards which the mobile support for the other wire ends moves as the track is being graded. More recently, beams of electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light or infrared waves, have been used as reference lines in track aligning operations, for which purpose wave transmitters are placed on the one support and wave receivers are placed on the other support, with a track jack of suitable design moving between the supports. Means is arranged in such conventional track aligning systems for cooperating with the track jack to stop lifting of the track when it has reached the desired, graded position.

In these known track aligning systems, wherein a reference line is associated with each track rail and extends thereabove, the forward ends of the reference lines have been located in a track section to be graded and were spaced a constant distance from the associated rail in a vertical plane defined by the rail and associated reference line. Any errors in the superelevation of the track at the point of these reference line ends were thus transmitted to the reference line ends themselves and caused corresponding inaccuracies in the desired track grade. If such inaccuracies were to be avoided, it was necessary constantly to supervise, control and, if needed, adjust the vertical positions of the two reference lines relative to each other. This has involved extra equipment and/or operators, in addition to time losses in the grading operation.

It has also been proposed to use only a single reference line associated with one rail, to grade this one rail in respect of this reference line and then to grade the other rail in respect of the graded rail. This involves the successive grading of the track rails, rather than their simultaneous grading, thereby reducing the efficiency of the operation.

It is the primary object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages of convention track aligning systems, and to obtain accurate and efiicient track grading with two reference lines.

This and other objects are obtained in accordance with this invention by positioning the forward ends of the two reference lines, which lie in the track section to be graded, in a single point in a vertical plane above one of the track rails. If the reference lines are wires, a single anchor is used for both reference line ends on the support in the track section to be graded. If the reference lines are wave beams, a single receiver or transmitter is mounted on this support.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following description of one preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a track grading apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the forward portion of the apparatus,

Referring now to the drawing, which shows the apparatus operating in a track curve to be graded, there is shown a forward support 7 for one of the ends of reference lines 1 and 2, and a rear support 6 for the other reference line ends. The general arrangement of the schematically illustrated track alignment apparatus is quite conventional and may include a mobile bogie running on track rails 8, 8 in a track section to be graded. This bogie forms the forward support of the reference lines in the illustrated apparatus and, as is also known, it may be fixedly spaced from the rear support by spacing rods (not shown), it may be self-propelling and/or it may be held stationary on the track during the grading operation while the rear support moves towards it, The rear support of the illustrated apparatus consists of the frame of a mobile track lifting machine which carries track grading means constituted by track lifting jacks 5, 5 for wardly of the point where the reference line ends are supported. This point is thus positioned in a previously graded track section.

With such a conventional arrangement, a track may be continuously graded as the track lifting machine moves forwardly from tie to tie and the track rails are lifted until they are in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the two reference lines.

In the illustrated embodiment, the reference lines are wave beams and, accordingly, a pair of wave transmitters 3 are mounted on the rear support vertically above the rails and corresponding wave receivers 4 are mounted on the forward support above the rails, the wave receivers and transmitters constituting the respective end points of the reference lines 1 and -2. Obviously, the identical result would be obtained if the receivers and transmitters were exchanged, i.e., if the wave beams originated from transmitters on the forward support and were received on the rear support. Also, if the reference lines were wires, suitable anchor means for the wires would be provided in place of the wave transmitters and receivers.

Since the forward ends of the two reference lines in the track section to be graded are joined at a single end point above one of the rails, no error in the superelevation of the ungraded track section can be transmitted to these reference line ends and the reference plane defined by the two reference lines will not be disadvantageously influenced by such error. While the two reference lines do not run in planes defined by their associated rails, their rear end portions, which are close to the track grading means, are almost in these planes so that it is quite easy to control the track lifting in relation to these rear end portions of the reference lines.

The single end point of the reference lines in the ungraded track section is positioned vertically above that track rail which is used for the alignment of the track. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, this single end point is shown above the inner rail of the track curve. The superelevation of the outer track rail may then be readily determined by lifting the outer rail until the track plane is parallel to the reference plane determined by the two reference lines, and then further lifting this outer rail by the desired amount of superelevation determined by the radius of the track curve, as is quite well known in surveying. Such determination and control is quite simple in respect of a plane of constant distance from the track, i.e., a plane without superelevation.

Obviously, this apparatus is useful in all types of track alignment systems using two reference lines defining a reference plane in respect of which a track plane is to be graded, regardless of the type of lines, the type of track alignment means and whether the reference lines are ,of constant or variable lengths, or whether the reference line ends are stationary or mobile during the grading operation.

We claim:

1. A track alignment apparatus comprising two refer ence lines defining a reference plane in respect of which the track is to be aligned, each reference line having two ends, a first support in a graded track section, a second support in an ungraded track section, one of the ends of the two reference lines being on the first support vertically above a respective rail of the track, the other one of the ends of the two reference lines being in a single end point on the second support vertically above one of the track rails, and track grading means arranged between the reference line ends and mounted on said first support and adapted to lift the track in relation to the end portion of the reference lines on the first support 2. The track alignment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the track grading means is arranged close to the one ends of the reference lines.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/ 1961 Martinet al. 104-7 7/1963 Stewart 104-7 

1. A TRACK ALIGNMENT APPARATUS COMPRISING TWO REFERENCE LINES DEFINING A REFERENCE PLANE IN RESPECT OF WHICH THE TRACK IS TO BE ALIGNED, EACH REFERENCE LINE HAVING TWO ENDS, A FIRST SUPPORT IN A GRADED TRACK SECTION, A SECOND SUPPORT IN AN UNGRADED TRACK SECTION, ONE OF THE ENDS OF THE TWO REFERENCE LINES BEING ON THE FIRST SUPPORT VERTICALLY ABOVE A RESPECTIVE RAIL OF THE TRACK, THE OTHER ONE OF THE ENDS OF THE TWO REFERENCES LINE BEING IN A SINGLE END POINT ON THE SECOND SUPPORT VERTICALLY ABOVE ONE OF THE TRACK RAILS, AND TRACK GRADING MEANS ARRANGED BETWEEN THE REFERENCE LINE ENDS AND MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SUPPORT AND ADAPTED TO LIFT THE TRACK IN RELATION TO THE END PORTION OF THE REFERENCE LINES ON THE FIRST SUPPORT. 